1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
The market for biological consumer goods has grown significantly in recent years, indicating a growing trend toward healthier and more ecologically friendly products. The market topographies items developed without synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms, and it is a thriving sector of the food and commerce industry. Organic products appeal for environmental and ethical reasons, not only because they are chemical-free. Consumers are more concerned than ever about how their purchases affect the environment and health and want to know how they came into existence. With this expanding demand, organizations competing in the organic goods industry must understand the various elements that affect client views. This study examines the availability heuristic and recall ease as critical factors in customer decisions in this sector. This study illuminates these cognitive processes and provides insights for marketers wishing to improve their methods and better understand client preferences for organic goods.
1.2 Research Problem
The body of research on consumers’ buying habits in the organic consumer product market provides insightful information about several factors that impact buying decisions. However, there is still a significant knowledge gap regarding the cognitive processes—like availability heuristics and recall ease—that support these decisions. Studies have looked into things like the labelling of goods, company image, and health consciousness. However, a more in-depth analysis of the cognitive shortcuts consumers use to assess and select organic products is still lacking. In this context, two critical but little-studied factors stand out: the availability heuristic, which holds that people base their decisions on information that is easily accessible, and ease of recall, which refers to the cognitive ease of recalling information. This study aims to close it by elucidating how buyers psychologically process the wide range of options available in the organic goods market. The availability of heuristics and ease of memory are the main points of emphasis because they influence consumer preferences and perceptions, giving marketers important information about the mental processes behind consumer decision-making. The study intends to close this knowledge gap and explore these cognitive phenomena to provide a more thorough understanding of the psychological dynamics at work in the market for organic consumer goods. It will help businesses adjust their strategies better to suit their target audience’s senses and thought processes.
Research Question
- How do integrating digital and social media marketing strategies impact the relationship between the availability heuristic, ease of recall, and consumer preferences for organic goods?
- Analyzing how influencers, digital marketing, and online platforms affect consumer perceptions can offer a modern viewpoint on how these cognitive processes function in the information and social media era, strengthening our understanding of successful marketing tactics for the organic consumer goods industry.
- What role do demographic factors play in moderating the availability heuristic and ease of recall influencing consumer choices in the organic consumer goods market?
- Determining how different age groups, economic levels, and educational backgrounds affect cognitive processes might help create a more nuanced picture of the varied consumer base that makes up the organic goods industry.
- To what level do ecological and ethical deliberations interrelate with the accessibility heuristic and ease of recall in shaping consumer insights and choices of biological products?
- Looking into how customers use cognitive heuristics along with ethical and environmental concerns can help us understand how people make decisions about organic consumer goods, which can lead to a more effective marketing strategy.
1.4 Hypotheses
- H1: More extensive exposure to digital and social networking marketing tactics favours the availability heuristic favourably, strengthening the link between organic goods and improving recall, influencing customer tastes for organic products.
- H2: Interactions with influencers, digital marketing, and online platforms will mediate the association between the heuristic of availability, ease of recall, and consumer preferences. It suggests that exposure to digital marketing strategies affects these cognitive processes’ effectiveness.
- H3: Age, socioeconomic level, and educational attainment are examples of demographic variables that alter the association between the availability heuristic and recall ease, affecting customer decisions in the market for organic products. For example, compared to older customers, younger consumers could exhibit a higher link between cognitive processes and preferences.
- H4: Demographic factors will have a significant impact on the relationship between the availability heuristic, ease of memory, and consumer preferences, necessitating the adaptation of marketing strategies within the organic products industry to different demographic groups.
1.5 Theoretical Framework
The necessity to fully comprehend the cognitive processes that underpin consumer decision-making in the organic consumer goods market drives the theoretical foundation of this research. This study aims to advance knowledge about how people make decisions in this field by exploring the complex relationships between the availability heuristic and ease of memory. These cognitive shortcuts’ investigation has theoretical significance since it illuminates the mental processes behind consumer preferences for organic products. It is imperative to unravel these processes to advance theories of consumer behaviour and provide more complex insights into the psychological aspects influencing decisions made in the context of ethical and health-conscious consumption. Therefore, the study intends to fill a vacuum in the literature and lay the groundwork for future studies on consumer decision-making in marketplaces where conscious consumption is prevalent.
This study has managerial relevance and significance since it can help the organic consumer goods industry improve its marketing methods. Comprehending the cognitive processes that impact consumer decision-making enables marketers to customize their product positioning and communication tactics efficiently. Businesses can favourably impact customer purchasing decisions by enhancing their organic products’ perceived availability and ease of memory through marketing messaging aligned with consumers’ mental shortcuts. In addition, the study seeks to offer practical advice for enhancing customer involvement and encouraging brand loyalty in this industry. Marketers can use the results to create more memorable and appealing brand narratives by designing targeted campaigns that speak to customers’ cognitive processes (Mills & John, 2020).
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Availability Heuristic
The availability heuristic is an essential cognitive bias that affects decision-making, especially regarding consumer choices. According to Canova, Bobbio, and Manganelli (2020), people use this heuristic when making decisions, which entails depending on easily recalled information. In the context of the Theory of Planned Behavior, their study on purchasing organic food goods emphasizes the importance of trust. In this case, customers’ preference for products associated with easily retrieved, reliable information is closely tied to the availability heuristic. The significance of heuristics, such as the availability heuristic, in modern marketing techniques is further highlighted by Guercini’s work (2023) on marketing automation and decision-making. Marketing automation solutions that use artificial intelligence and heuristics acknowledge cognitive shortcuts’ influence on consumer behaviour.
Studies examining the consequences of the availability of heuristics in the digital age complement research on the heuristic itself. In their investigation of the relationship between social media and food consumer behaviour, Rini et al. (2023) highlight the importance of online platforms in influencing views. Social media platforms influence customer choices by making some features more accessible due to their continuous information flow. Tandon et al. (2021) expand on this investigation and emphasize the importance of customer values when deciding on meal delivery apps. The availability heuristic is effective because customers base their preferences on information easily obtainable through these digital venues. In addition, Wojciechowska-Solis and Barska’s (2021) analysis of consumer preferences for organic goods in the context of sustainable consumption offers a distinctive viewpoint. Although it doesn’t specifically address the availability heuristic, it does offer insights into how customers may be swayed by the accessibility of information on the moral and environmental elements of organic products when they are motivated by sustainability concerns.
2.2 Ease of Recall
The mental ease with which people can recall information from memory is known as ease of recall, and it is an essential cognitive phenomenon. It significantly impacts how consumers behave regarding how their impressions are shaped and how they make purchases. In their study on organic food products, Canova et al. (2020) recognize the importance of recall ease, pointing out that recall ease is closely linked to trust, influencing consumer decisions. The study conducted by Guercini (2023) on marketing automation and decision-making highlights the significance of heuristics, such as ease of memory, in modern marketing tactics. Drawing from cognitive psychology theories, ease of recall emphasizes memory functions and the availability of information stored in the mind. Canova et al. (2020) have drawn attention to prior research that indicates the influence of ease of memory on consumer behaviour. A product’s recall value increases when quickly remembered, influencing decision-making. It is consistent with Tandon et al.’s (2021) findings, which address consumer values about food delivery apps and propose that the ease with which pleasant experiences may be recalled may be a factor in the frequent use of an app. When taken as a whole, these studies highlight the theoretical foundation of ease of recall and its practical applications in many marketing scenarios.
2.3 Organic Consumer Goods
Customers’ preferences and justifications for choosing organic products define the organic consumer goods market as a dynamic space. An understanding of why organic products are chosen may be gained from Wojciechowska-Solis and Barska’s (2021) analysis of consumer preferences for sustainable consumption. Sustainability concerns are driving a growing portion of the Polish customer base, according to their study that explores several aspects of the industry, including ethical and ecological elements. By stressing the importance of trust in consumers’ decision-making when choosing organic food items, Canova et al. (2020) advance this knowledge. As consumers want openness and dependability in the techniques used to manufacture organic goods, trust emerges as a significant driver. The literature on organic consumer goods also indicates that ethical, environmental, and health-conscious factors significantly influence customer preferences. Understanding these driving forces is crucial for companies trying to match their offerings to the changing needs of the organic goods industry as customers seek healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyles.
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
A field experimental approach was used as the research design for this study to explicitly address the research questions and investigate the complicated nature of buyer attitudes toward organic goods. Using this approach, examining how social media and digital marketing tactics affect customer preferences for organic products, the recall factor, and the availability heuristic is possible. Real-world observations of the participants will provide a thorough knowledge of how the modified factors impact their decision-making processes. A controlled laboratory setting makes it easier to systematically investigate how social and digital media exposure affects cognitive functions and, in turn, influences consumer decisions in the organic products market. This methodology guarantees that the study design is congruent with the hypotheses, providing significant insights into the connections studied.
3.2 Sampling
An adequately chosen sample that reflects the wide range of demographics among consumers of organic goods will be used to select study participants. Participants will be selected from various age groups, socioeconomic backgrounds, and educational backgrounds to guarantee a thorough grasp of the influence of the availability heuristic and ease of memory across segments. Requirements for inclusion will include people who buy organic items regularly. In contrast, requirements for exclusion might consist of people who don’t buy organic products or have little interest in them. The results will broadly apply to the organic goods market using this sampling technique. The goal is to obtain a comprehensive and representative view of consumer habits.
3.3 Variables
The availability heuristic and ease of recall will be the two leading independent variables that will be the subject of this study. We’ll play around with the availability heuristic to see how it affects participants’ perceptions and decisions about organic products. Concurrently, measures of recall ease will be taken to assess the impact and cognitive accessibility of knowledge about organic products. This study’s dependent variable is the consumer’s choice of organic items. It enables direct analysis of how differences in the availability heuristic and ease of memory affect the actual decisions that participants make when faced with possibilities in the market for organic goods.
3.5 Data Collection and Analysis
In a made-up market for organic goods, the experiment that will be used to collect the data will put people through different levels of availability heuristics and ease of recall manipulations. Surveys to gauge participants’ opinions, inclinations, and decision-making procedures will be among the tools used. Observations will also be made in recording behavioural responses; observers will analyze the data, and statistical techniques like regression analysis and ANOVA will be used to look at the links between the dependent variable (consumer choice) and the independent factors (availability heuristic and ease of memory). To get essential insights into the complex interactions between cognitive processes impacting consumer behaviour in the organic consumer goods industry, the data will be evaluated using statistical tools, namely SPSS.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this study proposal fills a significant vacuum in the literature by examining the impact of the availability of heuristics and ease of memory on the marketing of organic consumer goods. Based on a field experiment technique, the study offers essential insights into the mental processes influencing customer behaviour in this dynamic market. A more nuanced understanding of the influence of these cognitive shortcuts on consumer choices is provided by the controlled and genuine environment in which the variables can be manipulated in the proposed research methodology. Contributing to the larger field of consumer behaviour, the study aims to improve our conceptual comprehension of how consumers make choices in the setting of organic products by examining the interaction of these aspects.
This study is critical because it may impact marketing tactics used in the organic goods industry. Marketers can create more focused and efficient communication tactics by comprehending how the availability heuristic and the simplicity of recall impact consumer choices. Better product positioning and marketing can build brand loyalty, increase consumer involvement, and eventually support the long-term viability of companies in the organic consumer goods sector. Furthermore, this study adds to the literature by offering a modern analysis of cognitive processes and illuminating consumer decision-making dynamics within the ethical and conscious consumption framework. The study hopes to be a valuable tool for academics and businesses alike, providing marketers with practical insights and strengthening the theoretical underpinnings of consumer behaviour.
References
Canova, L., Bobbio, A., & Manganelli, A. M. (2020). Buying organic food products: the role of trust in the theory of planned behaviour. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 575820. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575820/full
Eng, N., DiRusso, C., Troy, C. L., Freeman, J. R., Liao, M. Q., & Sun, Y. (2021). ‘I had no idea that greenwashing was even a thing’: identifying the cognitive mechanisms of exemplars in greenwashing literacy interventions. Environmental Education Research, 27(11), 1599-1617. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504622.2021.1976732
Guercini, S. (2023). Marketing Automation and Decision Making: The Role of Heuristics and AI in Marketing. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=pODoEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=Availability+Heuristic+and+Ease+of+Recall+in+Marketing+Organic+Consumer+Goods&ots=REsoxZXJmc&sig=u6IM7F-HgQFFr64MATs42gqBgEI&redir_esc=y
Mills, A. J., & John, J. (2020). Brand stories: bringing narrative theory to brand management. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 1-19. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0965254X.2020.1853201
Nijkamp, M. (2023). Transition to a sustainable society: The Influence of Subjective Norm and Ease of Retrieval on Environmental Self-identity and Pro-environmental Behaviour (Bachelor’s thesis, University of Twente). https://essay.utwente.nl/94234/
Rini, L., Schouteten, J. J., Faber, I., Frøst, M. B., Perez-Cueto, F. J., & De Steur, H. (2023). Social media and food consumer behaviour: A systematic review. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 104290. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224423004053
Tandon, A., Kaur, P., Bhatt, Y., Mäntymäki, M., & Dhir, A. (2021). Why do people purchase from food delivery apps? A consumer value perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 63, 102667. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698921002332
Wojciechowska-Solis, J., & Barska, A. (2021). Exploring the preferences of consumers’ organic products in sustainable consumption: The case of the Polish consumer. Agriculture, 11(2), 138. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/2/138
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